Centrifugal milk-tester



(No Model.)

B. STODDARD.

' CENTRIFUGAL MILK TESTER.

No. 484,685. Patented Oct. 18, 1892.

flalpiz Stadflrd,

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RALPH STODDARD, OF RUTLAND, VERMONT.

CEN TRIFUGAL MILK-TESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 484,685, dated October18, 1892. Application filed May 12, 1892. Serial No. 432,747. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RALPH STODDARD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Rutland, in the county of Rutland, State of Vermont, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in CentrifugalMilk-Testers, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inmilk-testers of that class in which is employed a revolving partprovided with pivotally-supported receptacles for the test-bottles; andit has for its objects, among others, to improve upon this class ofdevices, to renderthe operation less laborious and more rapid, andconstruct a machine for use in butter and cheese factories where steamis available at a much less expense and more readily applied thanshafting and belting. Iconstruct the revolving wheel and so mount it asto be revolved by a steam-jet impinging thereagainst or against bucketson its periphery. The hot steam comes in contact with the bottles whenfilled with the milk and acid for the test and keeps them hot anddispenses with the necessity of adding hot Water, as has been requiredheretofore, or the placing under the case of a lamp or other heater tokeep the bottles and their contents hot, and, furthermore, it has beenfound that a better test is secured than when the hot water is employed.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear,and the novel features thereof will be specifically defined by theappended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings,which, Withthe letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of thisspecification, and in which Figure 1 is a top plan of my improvedmachine with the cover removed. Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectionthrough the same with the cover in position.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in both of the views.

Referring now to the details of the drawings by letter, A designates asuitable receptacle, which is fixedly mounted in the desired position inany suitable manner. It may be of any desired material and of anyrequired capacity. It is provided with a cover A,

having a depending flange, as seen in Fig. 2,

to fit snugly within the upper end of the receptacle, so as to close thesame as tightly as possible and prevent escape of steam at this point.

B is a pipe arranged to deliver steam into the said receptacle at thedesired point, and it is connected with a pipe B, designed to beconnected with any suitable source of steam, being provided with a valve13 by which the supply may be regulated and by which it may be cut offentirely.

The bottom of the receptacle A is provided centrally with anupwardly-extending flange a, surrounding a central opening a, andextending within this opening is a step 0, suitably secured to anydesirable fixed part, and in the socket of this step is mounted torevolve the vertical spindle O. This spindle passes through a sleeve 0which is secured thereto adjustably, as by a set-screw c, and thespindle passes also through the central hollow portion D of the spiderD. From this central portion extend the radial arms D which arepreferably hollow and to the outer ends of which is secured the rim E,the outer periphery of which is provided with the closelyarrangedbuckets E, which are in close proximityto the vertical wall of thereceptacle A, as seen in Fig. 1. The upper end of the spindle isscrew-threaded, as seen in Fig. 2, and O? is a nut upon this end, abovethe central portion of the spider, to hold the parts together.

On the arms D is supported a light polygonal frame F, to the center ofeach arm of which is pivotally and detachably secured a cup orreceptacle G. This receptacle is formed, preferably, of thin materialand is strengthened by the wires G, which pass under the bottom of thecup and along the front side and also along the back side, with the rearends turned over to form hooks g, which are designed to be detachablyheld or engaged in openings fin the arms of the frame F, permittingready removal of the cups when desired and allowing of their turning onthe said hooks as pivots as the frame is revolved.

Substantially diametrically opposite the steam-inlet is the exhaust-pipeH, which may be arranged to lead to any suitable place for carrying oifthe exhaust-steam. The bottom of the case or receptacle A should beprovided with a suitable outlet for the removal of the water ofcondensation. Such is shown at h in Fig. 1.

In operation the milk is placed in the testbottles I, of knownconstruction, and the acid added in the usual way, the bottles being setin the cups, as shown. Steam is then admitted through the steam-supplypipe or pipes, and as the steam strikes the bucket-s on the outerperiphery of the rim of the wheel it causes the same to revolve in thedirection indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1, and any desired speed maybe attained, according to the amount of steam admitted through thevalve. The cover being in position, the steam will enter the cups andsurround the bottles and keep the same hot, thus dispensing with thenecessity of supplying hot water during the operation. The steam thusserves not only as a propelling power, but also by being confined withinthe casing it serves to keep the bottles and their contents sufficientlywarm to insure satisfactory results.

The operation of separating and testing the milk is too well known torequire a description herein.

What I claim as new is- 1. A bottle-holder having strengtheningwiressecured thereto and extended along one side across the bottom and uponthe opposite side and terminating in hooks, by means of which the holderis designed to be pivotally supported, substantially as specified.

2. Arotatably-mounted skeleton wheel provided with a rim having bucketsand adapted for rotation by a steam-jet impinging thereagainst, combinedwith test-holding bottles provided with books, by whichthey are pivotedand detachably mounted upon said wheel between the periphery and hubthereof, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with the case having a central flanged opening, ofthe step located beneath said opening, the spindle supported in saidstep, the spider through the hub of which the spindle passes, a nut onthe spindle above the hub and a collar on the spindle below the hub, anda rim provided with buckets carried by said spider, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RALPH STODDARD. Witnesses:

JOSEPH M. STODDARD, EARLE D. WIOKHAM.

